. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/637 
22 November 2005 
 (05-5503) 
 Original:   English 
  
 
THIRTEENTH APEC ECONOMIC LEADER'S MEETING 
 
Busan, Republic of Korea 
18-19 November 2005 
 
Communication from Korea
 
 
  The following Statement has been received, in a communication dated 21 November 2005, from the delegation of Korea. 
 
  
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APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS’ STATEMENT 
ON DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA (DDA) NEGOTIATIONS 
 
 
1. We, the APEC Economic Leaders1, believe that the WTO Doha  Development Agenda (DDA) 
negotiations have an unmatched potential to strengthen the multilateral trading system, promote 
global economic growth and, in particular, improve economic devel opment opportunities for 
developing countries.  Achieving the DDA is a crucia l component of the global partnership to achieve 
the Millennium Development Goals.  For this reas on, the Doha Round must be carried to a successful 
conclusion—at the high level of ambition established in the Doha Declaration—by the end of 2006.  
2. APEC economies, which represent close to 50 per cent of world trade and almost 60 per cent 
of global GDP, have benefited greatly from an open trading system.  Average tariffs of APEC 
economies have been reduced by two-thirds in the last 15 years.  This has been a period of rapid 
economic growth, particularly for APEC’s lower in come economies.  The Doha Round is essential to 
keeping APEC economies on this path of growth an d development.  It is also essential for all WTO 
Members.  
3. The Hong Kong Ministerial will be a critical step  in achieving this goal.  Significant progress 
must be made in Hong Kong in resolving still remaining considerable divergences and a clear 
roadmap for completion of the Round in 2006 must be established.  There is more at stake here than 
just another phase of economic liberalization.  A successful conclusion of the Doha Round is crucial 
for the future credibility of the WTO and th e rules-based multilateral trading system.  
                                                      
1 APEC economies that are not WTO Members, the Russian Federation and Viet Nam, are negotiating 
to become WTO Members and their support to this stand-alone Statement on the DDA negotiations should be 
without prejudice to the terms and position of their accession negotiations to the WTO.  WT/L/637 
Page 2  
 
 4. All WTO Members must achieve an ambitious and overall balanced outcome at the end of the 
Round, which include, among others: a comprehensive package in agriculture to ensure substantial 
reductions in trade distorting domestic support,  substantial improvements in market access by 
significantly lowering tariffs and reducing quantitative r estrictions, and the elimination of all forms of 
export subsidies of developed Members by 2010;  an agreement on non-agricultural market access 
through a Swiss formula with ambitious coefficients and sectoral agreements on a voluntary basis that 
will ensure real market access im provements for all WTO Members; an agreement in services that 
will create commercially meaningful and real ma rket access opportunities in all WTO Members; 
clarification and improvement of the WTO rules fo r securing and enhancing benefits in market access 
that will ensure clearer and more predictable tr ade disciplines; and clearer and improved WTO rules 
for trade facilitation that will contribute to furt her expediting the movement, release and clearance of 
goods.   
5. We call for breaking the current impasse in agri cultural negotiations, in particular in market 
access, which will unblock other key areas, including non-agricultural products and services.  Unless progress is made in this area, we cannot make progress in the Round as a whole.  Avoiding or 
compromising our ambition on this issue would mean that we would lower expectations for the Round 
as a whole. 
6. We must ensure that the DDA reflects the deve lopment dimension in all negotiating areas and 
delivers real development benefits.  The DDA should also take into account the needs and interest of 
developing Members and, in particular, the special  needs of the least developed countries (LDCs).  
We look forward to a considerable progress on the LDC issues at the Hong Kong Ministerial.  
7. We, the APEC Leaders, are committed to face up to the political challenges associated with 
the DDA.  We are ready to provide strong politi cal leadership and the commitment necessary to 
produce in Hong Kong a sound platform for successf ully concluding the negotiations.  We urge all 
other WTO members, and especially those that have the largest stake in the global trading system and 
derive the biggest benefits therefrom, to show  the flexibilities needed to move the negotiations 
forward by and beyond Hong Kong. 
 
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